|
Sounds simple, right? Like many things, it's not quite as easy as it sounds. Chances are…you want results quickly. And you probably know that your current routine is problematic in one or more ways—too much fast food, sugar, or fat and not enough physical activity. Your natural inclination is going to be making big, sweeping changes to your diet and activity level right away. In short, everything in you is clamoring for a very anti-moderate approach. You’re primed to play the extreme diet game, even though your odds of winning are less than five percent. Concept #1: Food is not the enemy. There are no "good" or "bad" foods. True, some foods offer you a better nutritional deal than others. Refined sugar, for example, provides calories for energy but no other nutrients, while fruit is sweet but also provides vitamins and fiber in a low-calorie package. But refined sugar isn't evil or bad—it can have a place in a healthy diet. It's important to know what you need nutritionally and where you can find it, so you can take charge of balancing your needs for pleasure, nutrition, and fuel. The Payoff: When you stop labeling foods as good or bad, diet or non-diet, you won't feel guilty when you eat a food that isn't on your "approved" list. Instead you'll have more energy to learn about nutrition and improve your ability to make informed choices. And you won't have to give up your favorite treats if you find ways to work them into your meal plans so they don’t interfere with your health goals. Without the guilt and deprivation, you’ll be able to break the pattern of cravings, emotional swings, and binges that defeats so many diets. Without all those "diet" rules to follow, you’ll learn to trust your own instincts and make good judgments. Concept #2: Progress—not perfection—is important. To be successful, you don't have to always make perfect decisions and have perfect days where things go exactly as you planned. If you eat more or exercise less than you wanted to one day, you can make up for it over the next several days if you want, or you can just chalk it up to experience and move on. Remind yourself that what happens on any one day is not going to make or break your whole effort. This is not a contest or a race, where every little misstep could mean the difference between winning and losing. It’s your life—and you’ll enjoy it a lot more when you can keep the daily ups and downs of your eating and exercise routine in perspective. Continued › |

Dean Anderson




Member Comments
mm well maybe that? - 1/12/2013 10:50:51 PM
To say that refined sugar is not bad, causes me to wonder who is in Spark People's back pocket. It would be my guess that we will start seeing ads for Crystal sugar soon. I think too much emphasis is placed on the macronutrients and not enough on the micronutrients.
According to this article I an eat:
Breakfast: 1 donut instead of 3
Lunch:
12 ounces of soda instead of 24
regular-size chicken nuggets and french fries instead of the upgrade
Dinner:
2 slices of Pizza instead of the whole pie
As long as I eat in moderation, everything (my weight and health) should be fine. Hmmmmmph!
http://www.drmc
dougall.com/r
es_whi_report.html - 10/22/2012 12:27:14 PM
My sweet tooth is just too strong to allow me to indulge in candies. With all of the hard work I've put into losing weight I cannot and will not sabotage myself by having "just one" candy bar because I know that I'll end up polishing off a package of them. It just isn't worth it. - 5/28/2012 8:22:18 AM
- 5/28/2012 5:48:18 AM
OOOOOO true! - 4/7/2012 6:46:32 AM
I agree that I need to find balance in this healthy journey. As I am learning to eat more healthfully, I am also learning to include some of my favorite foods. Whether I attempt to make old favorites healthier by substituting ingredients (like skim milk for whole milk, or egg whites for whole eggs) or I simply eat smaller portions of full-fat foods or sweet treats, it's about how I am going to be able to live the rest of my life. Going through the rest of my life without ever having another slice of cake or another piece of fried fish is not feasible FOR ME. On the other hand, there are other foods that, as I learn to eat better (and incorporate exercise--an important part of my new balanced lifestyle), they simply fall out of favor with me and they are not missed.
Again, the important thing is to tailor this information to YOUR specific lifestyle and needs. Just because your individual needs require you to do something differently does not mean that this advice is wrong. - 4/7/2012 6:21:14 AM